On Thu, 2007-05-03 at 21:44 -0400, Max Hyre wrote:
> Gentlefolk:
>
> The discussion of `stable' vs. `etch' vs. `lenny'
> vs. ... got me to thinking. Is there any reason to offer
> `stable' as an entry in sources.list? Its drawback seems to
> be:
>
> o Every so often `stable' whacks you with about
> seventeen million updates, with the chance that you'll
> be left dead in the water.
>
> Using the name (`sarge', e.g.) has the drawback that:
>
> o Eventually a named distro will drop off the end of the
> world, and get no more security updates.
>
> OTOH, `unstable' is a necessary warning sign: Here be
> dragons. Someone starting with Debian needs to know that
> unstable has more surprises. (Though, in my experience,
> they're mostly like the ones you find in a box of Cracker
> Jacks.)
>
> So, my modest suggestion is that `stable' as a name
> should be eradicated. Roughly no downside, only closer
> adherence to the principle of least astonishment.
Okay, so let me get this straight.
You propose to eliminate "stable" as a release. To keep people from
hurting themselves. Especially unwitting "auto-updating" ID10Ts. Ok, let
me get this straight... How is this a good thing?
Anyone that is an Admin worth the salt they have in their body, will not
have ANYTHING auto-updating, but "auto-staging".
My definition of "Auto-Staging" means:
1. Check for "updates"
2. Update for "updates"
3. Download all of those updated packages
4. Checksum verify those packages, just downloaded re-get the ones
not verified properly
5. Send off an e-mail to me every hour or two telling me I need to
pay some attention to it.
6. goto #5 every one or two hours
7. goto #1 every six or twelve hours
I then login to said machine and "do the right thing"
I've done this for years with HP-UX, AIX, OSF/Tru64/WTFitis when each
company finally put patches and stuff in a internet reachable
repository. I really haven't done Solaris, so I dunno about it, but I
suspect it could be done similarly.
Now as far as Windows... blahahaha. Yeah whatever.
--
greg, greg@gregfolkert.net
The technology that is
Stronger, better, faster: Linux
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